


Something More Comfortable Than Formal

by Mistwolf_Magic



Series: Well Now You Do [1]
Category: Descendants (2015)
Genre: Everyone is always dressed like they're going to some fancy party, F/M, Gen, Jeans are amazing, and Ben learns this, the Isle Four don't get it
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-25
Updated: 2015-08-25
Packaged: 2018-04-17 03:04:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,868
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4649832
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mistwolf_Magic/pseuds/Mistwolf_Magic
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In which Ben's new suit is causing problems and Carlos and Jay let him (read: forced him to) raid their closet. Also Belle and Beast have a mild freak out but Mal thinks he never looked better.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Something More Comfortable Than Formal

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Better Than Fairy Godparents](https://archiveofourown.org/works/4634868) by [minishadowsoul](https://archiveofourown.org/users/minishadowsoul/pseuds/minishadowsoul). 



Ben rolled his eyes at the tailor as the man jerked his arm a bit to check the fit of the young King's newest suit. Why he needed yet  _another_ suit was beyond him, it was even the same shade of blue as the one he had had to take off in order to try this one on. Did anyone else get tired of wearing the same colors all the time? He shook himself, wondering where that thought had come from. Finally he was done and the tailor allowed him to jump down, but because the suit was now complete, he was expected to now wear it the rest of the day. Well, one less clothing change, he supposed.  

Halfway through the day, Ben scratched at his collar for the fifth time in as many minutes, it was mildly annoying but he just shrugged it off. Suddenly Carlos was at his side, a snack pack of pears in his hand which he immediately traded for the orange juice on Ben's tray. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine Carlos, why do you ask?" His hand reached to scratch at his neck again without his conscious permission and Jay caught it.

"Because you have a killer rash on you neck, and your fingers are looking raw too." the jock responded dryly, examining his friend's hand. 

Ben didn't know how to respond, especially when his free hand began fiddling with his suit. The two boys exchanged a glance then picked Ben up by the elbows in such a way that it looked completely natural and no one even glanced at them. "Wait, where are we going?" 

Carlos pulled out his phone and messed with it for a minute as they both continued to subtly herd Ben down the hall. It was only when they were nearly there that Ben realized they were headed to the boys' room, he also realized that Carlos must have been texting Mal and Evie because they were waiting for them when they got there. And finally, he realized that Jay hadn't actually released his hands and his neck was on fire, demanding to be scratched.

"How bad is it?" Mal asked as Evie closed the door. Ben thought he could feel a faint buzz in the air, suggesting that Mal had done some spellwork.

"His neck is really raw and his fingers are heading the same way." Jay answered. "He's probably been scratching at himself all morning." 

Ben removed his suit coat at Mal's prodding and she pulled down his collar to get a look at the raw skin herself. Carlos came out of the bathroom with a damp rag and wordlessly handed it to Mal. Ben growled as the cool cloth brushed against his abused neck, he hadn't realized it was that bad. Evie came over and Mal switched to his other side to give the girl better access to his neck. 

"You need to take off your shirt, this goes all the way down onto your shoulder." Ben hesitated slightly but Mal gave him a stern stare with faintly glowing eyes and he capitulated. Surprisingly he felt much better just with that simple act. "This really is bad." The fashionista took the rag when Mal offered it and cleaned the red sores on his shoulder, though she was being as gentle as she could Ben couldn't stop the faintly animalistic growls that came from his throat every so often. Mal held his hands tightly, which served the dual purpose of comforting him and immobilizing his arms. Later Ben would be extremely proud of the way none of them flinched at his growls, even with their background, that they trusted him enough that they weren't afraid of him. 

"What do you think was causing it?" Jay asked and Carlos picked up the discarded shirt.

"It looks like... it might be the shirt." He showed them where the collar had slight bloodstains on it. "The rash is only really where the shirt touched his skin." 

"It is a new suit." Ben offered, sighing as Evie finally took the cloth away.

"Have you never heard of t-shirts Ben?" Carlos asked, pulling on the shirt and rubbing his hand along the fabric. 

"Well, yeah," the blond shrugged, "but I only really wear one while I'm working out." 

Evie rifled through her purse, "I have some stuff in my room that will help with the scratches," she stood and headed for the door. "I'll be right back." 

Mal gave him a quick kiss on the cheek and stood. "I'll grab some bandages." She too disappeared and Ben laid back against the pillows of Jay's bed.

A beat of silence later he looked up and frowned at his companions' expressions. "What are you doing?" Simultaneously they lunged forward and dragged him off the bed, he still hasn't figured out how they could be both rough and completely gentle at the same time. 

When the girls returned Ben was wearing a pair of Jay's jeans and some sneakers, he was still shirtless but a blue t-shirt was thrown over the back of a nearby chair. Mal smirked at him and he blushed slightly. Evie quickly spread a Vaseline type cream across the scratches that made them tingle and Mal taped down a white bandage over it. Ben grabbed the shirt and disappeared into the bathroom for a moment; when he came out he was wearing a t-shirt the same shade as his coronation suit and a slightly wrinkled short sleeved button up shirt hanging open over it, the bandage on his shoulder peeked out beyond the shirt collar.

"Well, well, well..." Mal was smirking in earnest now, "you look like you could have just come off the Island." Ben grinned sheepishly. "Except..." she ruffled his hair, making it stand up a bit. "much better."     

"Do I really look okay?" he questioned, tugging at his untucked shirt. It was certainly more comfortable than any of his suits, the jeans especially, but it wasn't really anything he had ever worn before. 

"Please," Evie laughed in her breathy way that came from her mother always telling her not to laugh, "You are  _far_ better dressed than some of the other guys on the Isle." 

"And the shirts should't irritate your skin like this other one did. I mean seriously, what is this thing made of?" Carlos frowned at the discarded shirt.

"Some sort of cotton I think." Ben responded, laying down with his head on Mal's lap when she tugged on his uninjured shoulder.

"Our shirts are made of cotton," the white-haired teen disagreed, "this monkey suit is NOT made of cotton." Ben laughed as Mal started carding her fingers through his hair, she had slowly been becoming more tactility affectionate and was more willing to initiate said contact.

"It looks good on you, Ben." Jay grinned and the King smiled lazily, lulled into a half doze by Mal's ministrations.

"Thanks Jay. Would you believe me if I told you this is the first time I have ever worn jeans?" 

The ex-thief shook his head. "You royals are completely insane. I would go nuts if I had to dress like you do all the time."

Ben stretched his legs out. "Now that I'm dressed like this, I'm inclined to agree with you." The Isle Four all started laughing. "And guys? Thanks."

"We've been over this before," Carlos stated, sounding slightly exasperated.

"Family takes care of Family." Evie finished, putting away her mirror. Ben simply grinned at their words, there really was nothing more to say, after all.

* * *

"Ben dear?" Belle called, opening the door to the young man's study. She gasped at what she saw, her son was lounging on a small couch reading through a sheaf of papers, one booted foot propped up on his other jean-clad leg. "Ben?"

The young King looked up as she entered the room, followed by his father. "Mom. Was there something you needed?" he set the papers down on the side table and stood, Belle stared at his grey t-shirt. After a moment, Ben followed her gaze to look down at himself. "Oh, yeah, my clothes..."

"What happened? Why are you dressed like that?" Beast demanded, a low roar entering his voice. 

Ben shrugged sheepishly, "It's more comfortable than suits..." he explained, then pulled down his collar to show his parents the half healed scratches on his neck and shoulder. "The latest one irritated my skin real bad and it's still healing."   

Belle gasped ans stepped closer to her son, Ben twitched as he fingers ghosted over his injury and Beast's eyes narrowed dangeously. "Your suit did this?" If the scratches were this bad several days after the fact, as she assumed they were, she didn't want to imagine how they had looked when they were fresh. 

"Mal and the others took care of me," he assured her grabbing her hand, "I hadn't realized how bad it was myself until the guys stopped me." 

"...you spend so much time with them, Ben..." the woman patted his shoulders, "I just hope you don't forget your other friends."

He sighed, "What other friends? It seems like everyone had an expectation of me - the perfect prince - and I can't always be that." Ben removed his mother's hands from his shoulders. "For the first time, with them, I feel like I don't have to be." 

"You are the King." Beast reminded him and Ben grit his teeth at his father's tone.

"And that's all anyone ever saw me as." He responded. "First it was Prince Ben, then it was Soon-to-be-King Benjamin, and now it's King Ben. Like I said. when I'm with the Island kids I feel like I can be just Ben." 

Belle smile a little sadly. "And your new clothes fit into this, how?"

"The day I had the rash Jay and Carlos let me raid their closet. Well," he chuckled, "they didn't actually give me much choice. They kind of jumped me while Evie and Mal were getting the First Aid kit." Ben sighed and offered his mother a chair. "And like I said; this is really comfortable." 

"You don't look much like a King..."

"No," Ben agreed. "I look like a person. And that's good enough for me." His father still looked inclined to argue, and Ben held up a hand. "I'll still wear a suit to meetings and other functions," he compromised, "just let how I dress on my own time be up to me."

Belle laid a hand on her husband's arm and gave him a look. "Very well..." the former Beast agreed with a sigh, extending a hand to his Queen and helping her stand.

"Thank you Dad, Mom." Ben gave each of them a quick hug and his mother got a kiss on the cheek before the two adults left the study. As soon as the door closed behind them, Ben collapsed bonelessly onto the sofa with a heavy sigh. 

* * *

And if several of the princesses (and even some of the princes too) fainted the first time they saw Ben in his jeans and t-shirt/white button up combo running across campus to meet up with Mal...

Well, that was their problem, wasn't it? 

 


End file.
